free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
After a glorious sunny Saturday on Y Garn and Elidir Fawr, I was joined in the evening by my friends Pam and Emily at a cottage in an idyllic location near Mynydd Llandegai.
- Emily outside our cottage at Mynydd Llandegai, with Anglesey in the background
Next morning, we failed to find a parking spot for the Snowdon Horseshoe, so we went to the Glyderau instead, and had a superb day. So on Monday, we got up a bit earlier, and made it to Pen-y-pass in time to be relieved of our £10.
Pam and Emily had climbed Snowdon in 2013, using the Watkin Path from the south. I had climbed it twice before, both times while I was at school. Emily informed me that things on the mountain may have changed a bit since then. "There's a railway up it now..." she said, "...and a cafe on top." Thanks Em.
Before 8:00 am, it was already hot as we began walking, so we took it at a steady pace - we knew an exhausting day was ahead.
- En route to Crib Goch from Pen-y-Pas
We reached Bwlch y Moch, where the path for Crib Goch separates from the Pyg Track. We had a short rest here, while Emily decided which route she was going to take. The day before she'd not bothered trying to jump Adam and Eve on Tryfan, showing she's neither as loco as me nor as loca as Pam
Pam and I already knew which way
we were going
However, in that heat, neither of us would be particularly rápido.
- Crib Goch from Bwlch y Moch
Emily chose the Pyg Track, and set off on her first solo mountain walk. Pam and I had a map and compass each so Pam lent Emily hers. With this day's weather and forecast, Em wasn't likely to have a problem. She was probably more concerned about us heading up onto that knife edge. Not surprisingly, the majority of walkers were making the same choice as Emily, but a few, like Pam and me, were turning off to head up to the red ridge.
- Climbing Crib Goch
On the way up, we got talking to a walker from Leicestershire, who introduced himself as David. It was a Crib Goch debut for Pam and me, but he was a veteran. He set off solo on walks, but enjoyed company. So we ended up doing the whole horseshoe with him.
- Llyn Llydaw in retrospect
The temperature didn't seem to drop much as we ascended, and fatigue was setting in. So we took it very steadily - we were going to need to maintain concentration and coordination.
- Llyn Llydaw and Y Lliwed from just below Crib Goch
We reached the start of the ridge at the 921 metre top and had a good long rest. I didn't want to hurry Pam or David, but I was also aware Emily was likely to make it to Bwlch Glas, the meeting point of our routes, a lot earlier than us. After some refreshments, we were all ready to crack on.
- Ready to move along Crib Goch
- Emily's view from Bwlch Glas as she waited for us, with Llyn Cwellyn in the background
We moved along the ridge, taking great care, but thoroughly excited by the spectacular and airy surroundings.
- Moving along Crib Goch
Scrambling over the 923 metre summit, I think Pam and I were thinking more about the very steep drop on the left, and the completely sheer one on the right, than celebrating another Furth bagged. But it was certainly exhilarating!
- Near the west end of Crib Goch, looking down at Llyn Glas, LLyn Peris and Llyn Padarn
As we reached the final pinnacles, there may have been one or two slight micro-navigational challenges, but David's experience made things easier.
- Coming up to Crib Goch's last pinnacle
- Llyn Llydaw and Glaslyn, from near the end of Crib Goch
After a bit of down-climbing, we made it to Bwlch Coch - Crib Goch conquered
At this point, I managed to get a signal and phoned Emily. She was sitting at Bwlch Glas, having been waiting for us for quite some time. When I told her where we were, she found it on the map, and stood up. We could just make out her silhouette on the skyline, rather shorter than the stone sign post at the top of the Pyg Track to her right. Then she decided to go on up to the summit of Snowdon, and the cafe, and wait for us there.
- David and Pam near Bwlch Coch, in front of Crib Goch's west end
- Emily's view of Crib Goch from Snowdon, as she still waited for us
Next, David, Pam and I made our move on Crib y Ddysgl.
- David and Pam ready to scramble up Crib y Ddysgl
We took the scrambling route up the ridge, which was easier than Crib Goch had been.
- Further on up Crib y Ddysgl
- A loco's horse power viewed from the horseshoe
The scrambling over, we moved onto the easier ground at the top of Cib y Ddysgl (Garnedd Ugain). Now we really were able to celebrate reaching the second highest summit in Wales!
- Crib Goch from Crib y Ddysgl
The three of us dropped to Bwlch Glas, and began the final pull, alongside the railway, up onto Snowdon.
- Approaching Snowdon
Emily came back down to meet us, and turned around to walk back up with Pam. I got into summit dash mode - a train had just arrived at the station, and I didn't want to be jostling to get onto the highest point. Soon I was on top of Yr Wyddfa, without any need to queue, chatting with folk around the viewfinder, both walkers and train passengers. We may have all made different ways up with varying degrees of difficulty, but everyone there was appreciating the magnificent panorama. It was rather hazy, but the top was cloud free and the view still very good. Here, on the highest mountain in Great Britain outside Scotland, you really are looking down on everything. That's not quite true of Scafell Pike - on a very clear day you can see Snowdonia from there.
Pam and Emily soon joined me again, and we found David in the cafe. It was very hot in there so I didn't hang around to buy anything. Back outside, I checked my hydration supplies and decided I had enough left. We sat down on a grassy spot just south of the summit, looking down towards our route ahead.
- Y Lliwed from Snowdon
Emily stayed with us for the second half of the horseshoe, so four of us began descending. First a short distance south-west until we reached the post indicating the Watkin Path. Then we turned east down the path on a steep scree slope. A paved path is in the process of being constructed here. Bits of it were already made, easing the descent. Before too long we were bearing south-east towards Bwlch Ciliau. Across the Bwlch, we headed up towards Y Lliwed, the afternoon sun still very warm.
- Ready to scramble onto Y Lliwed
We all fancied the scramble up the ridge rather than a hot slog up the main path. This was a nice ascent with only small bits of exposure. All four of us found it within our comfort zone and we all enjoyed it. On the summit of Y Lliwed, we sat down again for another leisurely break in the sun.
- Llyn Llydaw from Y Lliwed
Then we moved on over the east top, and began our final descent.
- Descending back towards Llyn Llydaw, with Crib Goch and the Glyderau in the background
- Looking back at Snowdon and Crib y Ddysgl
Emily still had some energy left, and set a pace as we moved towards the junction with the miners track. She didn't want to be too late back, so I went on ahead with her, Pam and David walking steadily behind us. No mad rush though, and we made it easily back to Pen-y-pass. We said goodbye to David. He had been great company, and it had been a pleasure to walk and scramble with him.
According to Naismith's rule, this route should have taken us 4 hours 27 minutes plus rests. So Pam and I had spent over 5 and 1/2 hours sunbathing on the Snowdon Horseshoe, and Emily more than that. It's not surprising that we were all very tanned when we arrived back at the cottage. A few glasses of wine were called for, and no need to worry about getting up too early the next morning. Pam and Emily were due to go home then, but I was staying on at the cottage a few more days. So after an evening's celebration, there was time to spend a last, easy Tuesday morning together with that lovely view of the Menai Strait, before they packed up and left. I was sorry to see them go, but had further inviting Welsh mountains to look forward to in the coming days
Thanks to Pam and Emily for contributing some of the photos to this report.